


Grandpa

by Manni26



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-21 06:56:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20689376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manni26/pseuds/Manni26
Summary: Jonathan and Hopper have a heart-to-heart





	Grandpa

Chief Hopper was out of breath by the time he'd gotten all the way to hospital room 205, and waited outside the door a moment to collect himself. It had been a long time since he'd been to that section of the hospital, and it still stung a little. He wiped sweat from his brow, took a few deep breaths, and tried to make the anxiety in his stomach settle a little before pushing the door open to the room.

He knew he was late but he didn't intend to be- he'd promised Joyce he would be there when it all happened, he'd wait with her and the kids- but he was out of signal range when Flo tried calling him. So in the shadows of night, he received the message when he got closer and flew to the hospital.

Pushing the door open with some reservations, Hopper was surprised to see only Jonathan in the room, back towards the door, staring out the window. The bed was neatly made, no other family in the room, Jonathan whispering something under his raspy breath.

"Hey kid," Hopper spoke, closing the door behind him. Jonathan turned around to see the chief, baby wrapped in a pink blanket in his arms. 

"Hey Hop," Jonathan spoke softly as to not wake the sleeping child. It had been a long, long day for Jonathan- but it had all been worth it. The bundle of joy he tightly cuddled in his arms was his, all his. He woke early that morning to Nancy clutching his arm tightly in bed, unwilling and unable to move due to strong contractions. Despite her protests, he nervously and anxiously packed the car and carried the pregnant woman out into the chilly January streets. Hours upon hours of labor went by with family and friends sitting in the waiting room, hopping for news of the new arrival. After roughly eighteen hours of labor, their beautiful baby girl made her way into the world. 

"Wow," the chief marveled at the adorable baby in front of him, walking closer to get a better view, "she's beautiful."

It was a moment that was difficult for Jim Hopper, to say the least. Seeing Jonathan standing there, a twenty-year old man with a baby girl in his arms, reminded him so much of the day he held his daughter Sara in his arms for the first time. He could recall how nervous he was, not knowing anything about babies, and how terrified he felt when thinking about how to hold her. At twenty years old, Jim Hopper knew nothing about child rearing, but the moment Sara was put into his arms the world fell into place. When he looked at Jonathan, he knew it was the same moment for him; he'd already lived that moment.

"Where's Nancy?" Hop questioned.

"The nurses took her to get her cleaned up and to go over some after care procedures."

"And your mom? I'm shocked she hasn't chained herself to this room." Jonathan laughed at that, knowing full well it was accurate.

"I sent her and the others to go get something to eat. It's been a long day," he replied.

There was a moment of deep silence, silence both men valued. They may have been brought up in different ways, but Jonathan and Hopper were both a lot more alike then either would admit. They were both stubborn, fiercly protective men who would defend their loved ones to the death (they both had done that on occasion!). They also were men who said more with silences than words.

"Do you want to hold her?" Jonathan asked, holding his daughter out. It took a moment before the chief could get the word "sure" out. Jonathan placed his newborn child in the chief's hands, and suddenly it all came back to Hopper. He could see his daughter's birth in his mind, how beautiful she was as a child. There were so many memories of the fun they had reading books, talking, playing games that it was all too overwhelming for him. So as to not cry, he decided to talk.

"Has Lonnie come by or called?" he inquired, bouncing the baby a little to relax her. Jonathan laughed at the question and simply shook his head.

"How could he not want to see her...his granddaughter?" That word. Granddaughter. That was something that died when his daughter did. He knew he would never get the chance to be a grandfather, never. He had El, that was true. She was a daughter to him, but she was too young to have children (and he'd kill Mike if she did). He had Joyce as his girlfriend, but they were too old to have kids. 

"Lonnie isn't her grandpa, trust me," Jonathan remarked, still laughing. Pulling out one of the chairs in the room, Jonathan motioned to it, and requested the chief sit next to him. He obliged, taking a seat and bouncing the girl.

Jonathan could see in the chief's face that he was holding something back, and he suspected it was about his daughter. It all had to be so hard on Hopper. As a new father, Jonathan couldn't imagine the feeling of watching his daughter suffer, or dealing with her death. 

"So," Hopper started, "does this pretty girl have a name yet? I'm thinking, Joyce Jr. although that might not be such a good thing!" Hopper laughed, Jonathan stared at him.

"Hop, I can't thank you enough for...everything. My family wouldn't be here without you, none of us would. You've saved us so many times from stuff that no sane person would ever believe, and you make my mom so happy. I know I haven't always been good to you...I've definatly disobeyed your orders but...you're...you're like a dad to me."

Jim didn't know what to say to that. All he could do was stare at the baby in his arms and fight back hot tears. Jonathan was a son to him, just like Will. He loved those boys since the day he first laid eyes on them, back when they were small and he was arresting their father. Will had so much fear in his eyes but Jonathan, he had fire. Hop had just lost his daughter and couldn't understand why a father like Lonnie would want to hurt his sons. 

Hopper watched them grow, helped them fight monsters, and saw them come to accept him as he dated their mom. Jonathan's words sunk deep down into his soul and warmed him, making him smile.

"You're like a son," he quietly spoke. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he smiled and looked up at Jonathan.

"So we haven't told anyone her name quite yet...I wanted to tell you first," Jonathan mentioned, changing the subject as a stray tear fell from his cheek. "Her name is Amelia." Hopper smiled as he gazed back down at the baby.

"Amelia...that's a beautiful name." Jonathan smiled a huge grin.

"Yeah...Amelia Sara Byers."

Hopper stopped bouncing the baby. He stared down into the face of the infant and couldn't look away in fear that he would crumble. 

Wow.

Just...wow.

Amelia Sara Byers.

So many thoughts ran through Hopper's mind, like why did they pick Sara? Wouldn't Nancy want to use the name Barbara? What about Joyce or Karen? They picked Sara. They picked the name of his little girl...

"...is that...is that okay?" Jonathan stuttered, noting the chief's silence. Jim couldn't hold it back anymore as he let the tears drip down his face and made eye contact with the new father.

"...yeah it is...it's perfect." The two men laughed as Amelia burped and Hopper put her over his shoulder in a way to help her.

"Just wait till she does that at three in the morning when you're half asleep, it's less funny then," Hopper teased.

"Good thing her grandpa is an expert in burping her!" Jonathan commented.

Suddenly, the door opened and all of Jonathan and Nancy's family and friends filed in, excited to see Hopper and the baby they still thought was unnamed. Hopper couldn't move- his mind was stuck, preoccupied. All of this, all of them, none of it could make his mind move. 

Grandpa.


End file.
